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Canto 9 · Liberation · 24 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
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Canto 9 · Chapter 10: The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra
9.10.299.10.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.10.30

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.10.29inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ततो ददर्श भगवानशोकवनिकाश्रमे ।

क्षामां स्वविरहव्याधिं शिंशपामूलमाश्रिताम् ॥ ३० ॥

tato dadarśa bhagavān

aśoka-vanikāśrame

kṣāmāṁ sva-viraha-vyādhiṁ

śiṁśapā-mūlam-āśritām

Translation

Thereafter, Lord Rāmacandra found Sītādevī sitting in a small cottage beneath the tree named Siṁśapā in a forest of Aśoka trees. She was lean and thin, being aggrieved because of separation from Him.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Sītādevī’s Sorrow in Separation

  1. 1

    Lord Rāmacandra found Sītādevī in a forest of Aśoka trees. She was sitting in a small cottage beneath a Siṁśapā tree.

  2. 2

    Sītādevī had become lean and thin. The translation connects her condition with her grief in separation from Him.

  3. 3

    Her sorrow centered on being apart from Lord Rāmacandra. The verse draws attention to the depth of her attachment to Him.

How it feels

Exile and separation → Loyalty and reunion. Duty, loss and sacrifice shape the dramatic center of this canto.

Chapters 10–12 of Canto 9: The pastimes of Lord Rāmacandra. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 10: The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The Lord delivered Sītādevī from the Aśoka forest and carried her in a flower airplane to His capital Ayodhyā, where He was received by His brother Bharata. When Lord Rāmacandra entered Ayodhyā, Bharata brought His wooden shoes, Vibhīṣaṇa and Sugrīva held a whisk and fan, Hanumān carried an umbrella, Śatrughna carried the Lord’s bow and two quivers, and Sītādevī carried a waterpot containing water from holy places.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tataḥthereafter
  2. dadarśasaw
  3. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. aśoka-vanika-āśramein a small cottage in the forest of Aśoka trees
  5. kṣāmāmvery lean and thin
  6. sva-viraha-vyādhimsuffering from the disease of separation from Lord Rāmacandra
  7. śiṁśapāof the tree known as Siṁśapā
  8. mūlamthe root
  9. āśritāmtaking shelter of
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “separation”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “attachment”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Sītādevī’s grief reveal about how dear Lord Rāmacandra was to her?

Practice

Reread the translation slowly and spend a moment remembering Sītādevī’s love for Lord Rāmacandra.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySītādevī’s Sorrow in SeparationThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 9.10.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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